Country Soul: Brandi Carlile

Move over Shelby. Step aside Sheryl. Thereâs a new roots-rockinâ girl in town. And her name is Brandi Carlile. Sure, she may sound like a porn star at first glance of her name, but give her self-titled debut a whirl and porn is the furthest thing from your mind. With hints of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, this 23-year-old singer-songwriter has the chops, the licks and the downright dirty writing skills to take on the alt-country, heck, the country, world.

Her deep, gutsy voice grabs you from the start. None of this light and lofty nonsense propelled by bubblegum popsters like Britney or Jessica Simpson. This is one 20something that has a drive and determination that will likely provide her with a longstanding career, like some her of musical heroes including Janis, Bruce and even Buckley.